Popular Dog Names
As a result of the pandemic and the intermittent lockdowns, more people than ever before decided to buy or adopt a dog.
02/11/2021
Dog ownership is bigger and more popular than
ever before. Due to the pandemic and the
intermittent lockdowns, more people than ever
before decided to buy or adopt a dog.
In
the UK, 3.2 million people took in a new dog
during Covid restrictions, as did millions more
in the US. This pattern was followed across
Europe, South Africa, and other countries
including Australia.
It would seem that
during 2020, dogs were man’s and woman’s best
friends. Dog ownership grew in part from a need
for companionship, and
dogs and pets, in
general, can help improve mental health and
wellbeing.
So, you would think with all
the good and love that dogs bestow on their
owners, that they would at least give them a
good name as well as a home.
When it is
time to name a dog, there are many reasons that
titles are chosen. Choices range from movie
characters to cultural references, and they can
differ around the world.
Here are some of the ways people choose dog names, and the most popular ones in the world today:
Caring for your Dog
Apart from finding a fine name for your new
pet, you also have to make sure they are looked
after.
Although the recent Covid dog
adoptions are to be welcomed, it is good to
remember that if you are looking for a new dog,
they are a real responsibility to have.
Dogs need regular exercise, love, mental
stimulation, and a good diet. You will need to
fund vet visits and vaccinations. However, there
will be some fun to be had shopping too. When
you get your new puppy a visit to a
Pet Parlour
website for some dog toys, a bed, and some
treats, will help the new pet settle in.
All the Ways that people Pick their dog’s Name
Choosing a dog’s name can be easy or
difficult. On occasion, you can look at a dog
and just know what it should be called. Other
times it might take some time until their
personality comes out.
Some people buy
the same breed of dog throughout their lives and
continue to name them the same but with a suffix
announcing that they are Fido II or III. Others
meanwhile choose foreign language names with a
meaning behind them.
Here are the many
ways people use to pick their dog's names,
followed by the most popular dog names in 2021.
The Accidental Name
This is where an owner is struggling to come
up with a name, and it happens due to a happy
accident.
For instance, one dog owner
kept calling his dog ‘buster’ in conversation
without any intention of it being his name until
one day it just stuck. However, his girlfriend
who struggled with English heard the word
‘pasta’ instead.
So, the new dog
was simultaneously known as Pasta and Buster.
Incidentally, Buster is the 10th most common
name for a male dog.
The Pop-Cultural Reference
This became particularly popular during the
eighties, and also when muscle dogs became more
popular.
Like pit bulls, staffies, and
other bull terriers, became more commonplace,
owners wanted something fitting. What better
than Rambo and Rocky? Oddly, Rocky is still in
the top 5 when it comes to popular names for
male dogs.
And of course, Scooby-Doo is
still popular with Rhodesian ridgeback owners
today.
Names with Meanings
In South Africa, it is not uncommon to choose
names in African languages that not only sound
good but have a meaning behind them.
Dogs
are great companions and there are many
activities that you can do in SA with them.
Preparing for going camping or hiking, for
instance, should involve getting your dog along
for walks, and guarding the site.
And,
what better name for a protective companion than
Aza or Bheka, which mean ‘strong’ and ‘to watch’
respectively. Perfect for a Boerboel or German
shepherd.
Alternatively, you may like
Tandi for a girl dog, which means fire, or Enyi
which simply means friend.
The Lookalikes
One reason for naming a dog can be due to the
way they look. Golden retrievers are incredibly
friendly and kind dogs. They may have been bred
for hunting purposes, but they make the perfect
pet for families with children.
While
they are both protective and trustworthy, their
size and colouring make them perfect for naming
after another strong animal. It is for these
reasons that some people would name their
retriever, Leo, after the lion.
The Rhyming Names
Puns and rhymes are popular with some dog
owners. Groucho is one option that could be
used, ie Groucho Barks.
Another popular
one with a certain breed of dog is Doug. The pug
is one of the oldest breeds of dog in the world,
but instead of receiving a dignified title, they
are known the world over as Doug the pug.
They make lovable pets though, and their
size makes them perfect for
small pet beds that
double as a side or coffee table.
Traditional Dog Names
Some dog owners like to go down the traditional route when it comes to naming their pets. This can mean names such as Lucky and Lassie, along with Spot, Buddy, Shadow, Pepper, and Lady.
Human Names
Alternatively, human names can be used. Fans
of the Walking Dead will know that Daryll went
extremely literal when naming his companion who
is known simply as Dog.
However, human
names are also used for dogs, and some of them
are the most popular titles given today. Bob,
Charlie, Jenny, Milo, and Benjy, are all
commonly used.
Named due to Colour and Appearance
One of the most common ways a dog finds
itself tagged for life is due to the way they
look. Pepper is not unknown for scruffy-looking
Jack Russel terriers. Similarly, Guinness is
used for dogs with rich black, brown, and white
colouring. Panda is used for dogs with black and
white patches, as is Patch for white dogs with
one eye surrounded by black fur.
Nanouk
is a rarer name but one that can cover more than
one base here. Nanouk, or Nanuq, is Inuit for
the polar bear. Thus it works for white dogs as
well as having another meaning in a different
language.
The most popular dog names Today
According to Statista, there are 471 million
dogs in the world, which means there are a lot
of different names out there.
The
popularity of dog names does differ across
different countries, and names come in and out
of style as do human names. Popular names in
Australia such as Dingo and Tilly may not be so
popular in South Africa or the UK.
However, at the risk of angering dog lovers
everywhere, here are the top five names for boy
and girl dogs, according to some sources.
Popular male dogs
Bailey
Max
Charlie
Buddy
Rocky
Popular female dog names
Bella
Lucy
Molly
Daisy
Maggie
What may be interesting about the current popularity of these names is that nearly all of them are based on real human names. The exceptions are the classic Buddy, the pop culture reference to Rocky, and one more. Bailey could well be simply a name or it may refer to Baileys the drink.
Summary
No matter how you choose to name your dog, or
which title is given to him or her, there is
only one thing you need to remember.
Your
dog will give you unconditional love, try to
protect you, comfort you, and be your friend.
You, though, have a responsibility to give that
dog all the love in return you can.
So, with this in mind perhaps don’t name
them anything too daft such as Cuddles. After
all, if they run away from you in the park, it
will be you who has to call out their name
loudly...